2016 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

THIS IS THE FOURTH WINDSHIELD TO CRACK ON US IN AN OUTBACK. THE FIRST TWO WINDSHIELDS CRACKED IN A 2015 OUTBACK. SUBARU HAD TO BUY BACK THAT CAR DUE TO AN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED WINDSHIELD THAT FLOODED THE CAR. THEY GAVE US 2016 OUTBACK IN ITS PLACE. GUESS WHAT, THE 2016 OUTBACK WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED TWICE. THE FIRST CRACK WAS SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER ITS PURCHASE AND OCCURRED SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED A PEBBLE HIT BECAUSE THEY COULD SEE A CHIP. THIS IS DESPITE THE FACT THAT A PEBBLE NEVER TOUCHED THE CAR. OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS THE CRACK SPREAD ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. SUBARU REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD. WELL, THE NEW WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED AGAIN. THEY ARE ALSO CLAIMING IT IS DUE TO A PEBBLE AND ARE REFUSING TO REPLACE IT THIS TIME. THEY ARE CLAIMING IT IS NOT IN THE LOCATION THAT THEIR MEMO STATES IS PART OF THE EXTENDED WINDOW WARRANTY. THERE ARE MAJOR ISSUES WITH THE WINDSHIELDS ON THE 2015 AND 2016 OUTBACKS. FOUR CRACKED WINDSHIELDS FROM WHAT THEY CLAIM ARE "PEBBLES" IS WRONG. ESPECIALLY WHEN TWO OF THE CRACKS HAPPENED WHEN THE CAR WASN'T EVEN MOVING AND WAS PARKED. SUBARU KNOWS THERE ARE PROBLEMS AND THEY ONLY EXTENDED THE WINDSHIELD WARRANTY IF THE CRACK IS THROUGH THE AREA OF THE BASE OF THE WINDOW. BUT THEY ARE WELL AWARE THAT THE CRACKS ARE HAPPENING IN OTHER PLACES AND ARE REFUSING TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION. THERE ARE SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES NOT BEING ADDRESSED. AND THE SOLUTION IS TO GET THE COSTUMER TO JUST CONTINUE TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELDS AT THEIR OWN COST.

WITH CAR STATIONARY, ENGINE OFF AND CAR IN PARK, KEYED IGNITION WILL NOT TURN TO LOCK POSITION OR RELEASE KEY. THIS HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY FOR TWO WEEKS, OFTEN MORE THAN ONCE A DAY, FROM 3/10/2019 AND CONTINUING THROUGH YESTERDAY, THE LAST TIME THE CAR WAS DRIVEN.

CAR WAS STATIONARY AND HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN IN SEVERAL HOURS AND THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM THE TOP CENTER DOWN ABOUT SIX INCHES ACROSS BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FIELD OF VIEW. THERE WAS NO PREVIOUS DAMAGE, MAJOR OR MINOR, FROM THE POINT WHERE THE CRACK APPEARED TO START FROM.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE ONTO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN AT SUBARU OF AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE. 2016 OUTBACK 3.6R BULLETIN NUMBER: 12-192-15R; NHTSA ID:10093903; REVISED: 11/19/15 UPDATE BULLETIN NUMBER: 12-192-15R; NHTSA ID:10093903; REVISED: 03/06/17 ISSUE: SPONTANEOUS CRACKED WINDSHIELD HELLO, I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF MENTIONED VEHICLE, 2016 OUTBACK 3.6R EQUIPPED WITH THE ALL-WEATHER PACKAGE AND EYESIGHT. ON FEBRUARY 28, 2019 A SMALL VISIBLE RUNNING CRACK ONE INCH IN LENGTH APPEARED JUST IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT WINDSHIELD. WITH INSPECTION THE CRACK ACTUALLY STARTED AT THE LOWER PORTION OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD IN THE DEICER/DEFROSTER AREA. SINCE THEN THE CRACKS HAVE INCREASED DAILY IN LENGTH AND IN NUMBER. ONE RUNNING CRACK HAS NOW SPREAD ACROSS THE ENTIRE LOWER HALF OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD TOWARDS THE PASSENGER SIDE. ANOTHER VISIBLE RUNNING CRACK ONE INCH IN LENGTH NOW HEADING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF FRONT WINDSHIELD. IT TOO ORIGINATES FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD IN THE DEICER/DEFROSTER AREA. UNDER VERY CLOSE PHOTO INSPECTION AT THE JUNCTIONS OF THESE MERGING CRACKS CHIPPING IS OCCURRING CAUSING ADDITIONAL SPIDERING CRACKS. I DID CONTACT MY SUBARU DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON MARCH 5, 2019.A SALESPERSON FILLED OUT AND I SIGNED AN INFORMATION FORM FOR REPORTING THIS ISSUE TO SUBARU AMERICA. I WAS NOT OFFERED AND DID NOT RECEIVE A COPY. HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM THEM YET. THIS ISSUE AND REPAIR MENTIONED IN TSB ID: 12-192-15R NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I HAVE ATTACHED DETAILED PHOTOS AND MC-10093903-2280.PDF DOCUMENT. THIS SHOULD EXPEDITE THE REPLACEMENT PROCESS.

FEBRUARY 28, 2019. CRACKING FRONT WINDSHIELD AT THE DE-ICER / DEFROSTER AREA. THIS WAS NOT FROM ROADWAY ROCK CHIPPING. VEHICLE WAS ON DRIVEWAY WARMING UP AND DEFROSTING. AFTER, NOW FIVE DAYS THE CRACK HAS SPREAD COMPLETELY ACROSS THE LOWER HALF OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD.

WHEN STOPPED, UNABLE TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION (UNABLE TO MOVE KEY FROM ACC POSITION TO LOCK POSITION SUCH THAT KEY REMAINS IN IGNITION). SAFETY CONCERN: UNACCOMPANIED CHILD COULD START VEHICLE. UNLOCKED VEHICLE COULD BE STOLEN WITH KEYS IN IGNITION.

I HAD AN ACCIDENT @ 5PM-ENTERING A BUSY ROAD FROM A DRIVEWAY-HIT THE SIDE DOOR OF A CAR RACING LEFTTORIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. MY FAULT OF COURSE. I HEARD NO BEEP WARNING FROM THE SO-CALLED COLLISION MITIGATION SYSEM (?), NOR DID I FEEL ANY BRAKING. SUBSEQUENTLY I TESTED THIS FEATURE IN MY DRIVEWAY WHERE I SLOWLY DROVE THE CAR FORWARD TOWARD MY LARGE GARAGE, I WOULD HAVE HIT THE GARAGE-NO BEEP-NO BRAKING. THEN, IN A SNOW STORM, I HAD TO BRAKE SOASTO NOT HIT A LARGE TRUCK SKIDDING IN FRONT OF ME. I MISSED HITTING HIM BY INCHES. AGAIN, I HEARD NO BEEP AND FELT NO BRAKING. DEALER TESTED THIS FEATURE ON MY CAR BY LETTING IT GO TOWARDS BRUSHES IN A CARWASH, I HEARD BEEP WARNING, BUT AGAIN FELT NO BRAKING. DEALER SAID SYSTEM IS WORKING PROPERLY. AND SO-I CONCLUDE THAT WHENEVER I HEAR ANY KIND OF WARNING BEEO, I SHOULD MANUALLY AND QUICKLY 'HIT THE BRAKES', NO MATTER WHAT. AFTER ALL, I HAVE TO KEEP MY EYES ON THE ROAD FOR GOD'S SAKE. I AM NOT HAPPY.

PROBLEM: 360 CCA BATTERIES INSTALLED IN NEW CARS ARE NOT ENOUGH AND THEY CAUSE PROBLEMS. MY FIRST INDICATION WAS A YEAR AGO WHEN I WENT TO THE STORE, WAS IN THERE 10-15 MINUTES, AND WHEN I CAME OUT THE CAR DID NOT START. A FRIEND CAME 2 HOURS LATER TO JUMP IT BUT TRIED IT FIRST AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP. SECOND PROBLEM WAS ON A TRIP TO DC IN NOVEMBER '18. NOR'EASTER CAME THROUGH AND WE GOT STUCK ON THE INTERSTATE IN THE MOUNTAINS FOR A FEW HOURS. CAR WAS STOPPED, NOT RUNNING. WENT TO GET DINNER THEN TO CAR TO GO ON AGAIN. WOULD NOT START. WERE STRANDED FOR 3 MORE HOURS, AS THE WEATHER AND MOUNTAIN DRIVE MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET HELP. WE WERE EVENTUALLY ABLE TO FIND SOMEONE TO JUMP IT. OVER NEXT FEW MONTHS, ODD THINGS HAPPENED LIKE THE RADIO NOT WORKING SPORATICALLY, SLOW STARTS, AND THE KEY NOT COMING OUT OF IGNITION OCCASIONALLY. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY RECOMMEND A $853 NEW SHIFT MECHANISM, BUT IN THE DISCUSSION HE HAPPENED TO MENTION THE 360CCA BATTERY NOT BEING ENOUGH FOR THE CAR. MY SUSPICIONS TELL ME TO GET A NEW BATTERY AND SEE HOW THINGS GO. GOT BATTERY- 640CCA, A WEEK AGO AND NO PROBLEMS AT ALL NOW. IT'S NOT RIGHT THAT THE DEALERS KNOW ABOUT THE BATTERY NOT BEING ENOUGH, AND WHEN YOU BRING THE CAR IN THEY TRY TO GET YOU TO PAY FOR LARGE DOLLAR FIX-IT'S AND AVOID TALKING ABOUT THE BATTERY ISSUE. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS AND MAKES OF SUBARUS HAVE THESE, BUT PROB AT LEAST A FEW YEARS. THEY NEED TO RECALL AND PUT IN BETTER BATTERY, AT LEAST A $500CCA. I HAVE READ CAR GURU BLOG THAT MAKES IT OBVIOUS THAT AT LEAST HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE STORIES OF BEING STRANDED. FOR A LONG TIME OR IN A BAD PLACE. MY BATTERY COST ME $173 AND THEY SHOULD REFUND THAT TO ME.

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ENGAGE OFTEN CAUSING A JERKING MOTION OF THE CAR WHICH IS UNDIAGNOSED FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS. SUBARU EXTENDED THE TRANSMISSION WARRANTY FOR ONE YEAR. I WANT IT FIXED. MY WIFE AND I HAVE COMPLAINED SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW (2016 MODEL)

KEY IS STUCK IN IGNITION WHEN CAR IT TURNED OFF AND WILL NOT COME OUT. DRIVER HAS TO SLAM THE GEAR SHIFT INTO PARK TO GET IT TO RELEASE MULTIPLE TIMES. SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM BASED ON INTERNET RESEARCH